Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Santa Clarita, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Clarita, CA: $3,884 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clarita, CA
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Santa Clarita, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Santa Clarita, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Santa Clarita, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Santa Clarita, CA $3,884

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $5,163 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Santa Clarita, CA $5,163

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,442 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Santa Clarita, CA $6,442

New York, NY costs about 27% more than Santa Clarita, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Santa Clarita, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Santa Clarita, CA by 185%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.90 $19.90

43.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$98.1 $98.1

20.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$15.17 $15.17

-0.86%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.16 $6.16

6.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.58 $3.58

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.97 $2.97

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.80 $7.80

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.78 $8.78

12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.07 $4.07

22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.98 $4.98

56.83%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.95 $4.95

20.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$19.52 $19.52

-3.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$8.07 $8.07

123.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.68 $16.68

14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.51 $6.51

3.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.96 $1.96

15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.08 $3.08

121.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.95 $2.95

140.34%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$8.86 $8.86

-52.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.69 $4.69

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.49 $3.49

-17.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.69 $2.69

-3.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.89 $11.89

57.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$16.03 $16.03

25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.71 $1.71

101.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.40 $4.40

-8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.48 $2.48

17.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$27.34 $27.34

408.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.82 $2.82

9.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.47 $2.47

-14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$60.4 $60.4

-30.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$23.0K $23.0K

50.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$223 $223

-1.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$55.6 $55.6

33.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$72.3 $72.3

-2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$36.54 $36.54

206.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$25.26 $25.26

196.36%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.26 $14.26

55.26%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,558 $3,558

$1,451 $1,451

145.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$36.9K $36.9K

68.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$73.6 $73.6

2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$27.31 $27.31

87.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$73.1 $73.1

68.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$111 $111

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,827 $2,827

59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,483 $2,483

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,861 $3,861

144.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,261 $3,261

59.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,653 $3,653

395.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$4,227 $4,227

58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,249 $5,249

-0.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.49

5.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.5K 63.9% 19.4% $596

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.4% 21.2% $119

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Santa Clarita, CA

$361 9.3% 17.9% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Santa Clarita, CA

$351 9% 3.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Santa Clarita, CA

$128 3.3% 26.9% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4% 68.1% $112

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Santa Clarita, CA

$65 1.7% 58.3% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $98 in Santa Clarita, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $444 – making Santa Clarita, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

182,371

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Santa Clarita, CA 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Santa Clarita, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Santa Clarita, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 27% more than Santa Clarita, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $5,826 in Santa Clarita, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Clarita, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,827 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,451 in Santa Clarita, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Clarita, CA costs $3,884 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Santa Clarita, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 21% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.